Broken Wings
by Ludifer
Summary: With Riven wondering and alone, unable to find her place in this world. Alone with no friends, no family, no homeland and no future. Her hopes for the future the only thing she can cling to. An Exile both in body and in mind. Will a friend from the past be able to reach her? To rekindle the passion for strength she once held dear, to change her fate and her course in history.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! Here is a little League fanfic I fancied doing as a bit of a change. **

**Ok just thought I would say before you read. There is only so much lore on characters of LoL, so I have thrown in some stuff in there to help 'flesh out' the characters a bit more. Not saying that anything I have done is cannon at all, but I hope you like it anyway. I tried to keep every character IC as much as I could. I hope you think the same. **

**Enjoy!**

The crackles of the fire sounded out into the night. The spitting and angry sparks echoing in the small space. The small orb of fierce light and burning caught and trapped in place, unable to spread and devour anything else around it. A branch cracked and broke from the weakening as the fire engulfed it, the dead dry wood gathered up from the forest floor used as kindling for this simple fire. Warming the body of a cloaked figure who sat hunched up close by.

Her eyes stared into the flames, the dancing light seen quite keenly reflecting in her vision. She was so still, not moving an inch as if she was far away from this place. Her mind lost within itself, adrift in the wandering halls of her own thoughts and memories. Twisting and turning as if searching for something. The girl suddenly shivered, a small breeze flitted in from the woods all around her. The dark encompassing night surrounded her and threatened to take over her little makeshift camp, the girl's cloak shifted as she turned to face the direction of the breeze. Watching as the twigs and leaves of the quiet forest blew gently before the gust. No other sound permeated this place, even as the fire swayed with the breeze it still crackled ever onward. Dismissive of such a weak force and continuing its sharp noises into the silence of the woodland.

The girl edged closer to the fire on her rump, her clothes rustled as she moved and pulled them closer to herself. She pulled her arms and legs closer to herself, as if seeking to keep every trace of warmth from escaping her body on this cool night. She sighed out to herself, her breath visible in the crisp night air. Small wafts of light vapour floating up into the air, to mingle in the smoke of the fire. Her eyes scanned her small campfire, her bedroll was already laid out to the side, laid out on the dry cold ground. Beside her was her backpack, a simple affair containing items such as small parcels of food and skins of water. Barely anything… and all she had left in the world.

It was all she had now.

All she had to her name. All she owned, everything. A drop of misery for barely a second registered inside… before she gritted her teeth and pushed it away. She was strong. She was strong and would continue to be. She didn't need anything, didn't need anyone, didn't need comfort….

…although… it would have been nice. She smiled to herself, a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. As if she knew her situation was not a good one, she had been forced into the forest the day before yesterday., and had no way of breaking back out to civilisation. Her eyes glanced back over to her bag, inside bore one of the last remnants of her armour, a last trinket she refused to part with. A wrist guard adorned with the symbol of Noxus…

She scowled now as she swerved her gaze away and back to the flame.  
Noxus… all of her problems began and ended with Noxus. Her city… her home… but now…

She held that wrist guard dear to her heart, it had been gifted to her by her parents. It wasn't given to her because she was a soldier, it wasn't a gift from an official. All of those would have been hollow gifts… merely to fill a purpose. But this… this was crafted with pride and love for what she had managed to accomplish. Her parents had been simple smiths, workers for the soldiers and the elite. Proud of what they crafted and created. Their weapons often used with confidence. Their armours tried and tested and true. She had been raised around such crafting and had grown to admire the work involved and the tests of strength not often seen in the art of smithing. But fate had not decreed her to become a smith like her parents.

She had grown into a soldier, her strength comparable to any man's and then some. Some called her gifted, others a freak. But whatever she was, she used her strength for the good of Noxus. And that strength was recognised. Becoming the 'poster child' of Noxus, an example of what the military strived for. For that pride… her parents gifted her the wrist guard, inside was engraved with their pride. She would never drop it, or let it go. In fact… she still loved her country, still loved being a… Noxian. But…

She felt a spike of anger boil in her gut. She didn't like… no… that was too weak a word, She hated what Noxus now was, it wasn't strength they sought, no. Not the strength she believed was what Noxus valued, no, it was underhanded tactics, weak resolves, the bunch of gibbering simpletons! That… was not the Noxus she had once followed. Not the Noxus she loved.

It had been that unwillingness to let go of that tie to Noxus that had sullied her barely a few days ago. She was in an area which she had believed to be neutral… but apparently she was more out of touch with world affairs then she thought. As she had been minding her own business in an inn, sat at a table in a quiet afternoon. She had in fact just helped with a delivery of milk and other such foods from the traders, and with a smile at a job well done she had sat down to clean her wrist guard, it had been scuffed sometime ago and she ached to clean it. Keep it in tip top condition, even if she didn't use it. With no talk of Noxus, Demacia… Ionia. Nothing, none of those she had heard of for days. She felt free to clean the engraved guard without fear.

What a mistake.

A barmaid had recognised it, with such a fear filled face. That face… still made her grimace. As if… Noxus was nothing but a murderous band of rapists and pillagers. Her shouting had quickly alerted everyone… and before she knew it… she was having to run. She couldn't even quite remember how it all went herself. The situation had turned from relaxed to hostile in seconds, the village she had stayed in, the room she had rented out for the rest of that week. She had barely been able to grab her backpack from her room before she had to flee out of a window. It was disgraceful… and behaviour she didn't wholly understand. She tried to explain, she knew she did. But they were having none of it. The girl snorted, apparently bearing the emblem automatically means you are part of that faction. What a load of rubbish, utter stupidity… she scoffed.

But now… she didn't know where to go. She hadn't bothered to hide her face… she didn't see a reason to. However… she felt so stupid. She didn't know who to trust, what had happened, with the uproar involved she wouldn't be surprised at seeing a wanted picture around the roads and areas. She clenched her teeth in anger at them and herself. She still didn't know what faction they sided with, Ionia or Demacia… whatever… why does it even matter anymore…

The problem now was… her supplies would only hold out for so long… she would have to restock soon. At this her back bent a little lower, but how? How could she re-supply? She had coins still, odd jobs so far had kept her going, and working for food and a bed for the night was also something she often did. Living…out here was not something she relished and tended to avoid, but now… she had no choice. But… that was just it, there was little food out here. Her face contorted to one of contempt as she sat there hunched. She guessed… she could live on the forest, she knew of how to trap and hunt. It was in her training in the Noxus military… she could fall back on that. But the idea of living and sleeping out here did not fill her with warmth, it shook her core and she felt ice inside her where the fire would not reach. With lines starting to form around her eyes, her negative downcast look stared back down, into the flames… and then leant into her knees. She leaned her head on her knees and hugged her legs close. Listening to the crackle of the fire as it burned ever onward…

She didn't move as she heard a rustle in the leaves before her. She didn't visibly move, but her eyes flitted up and she stiffened. Her training forced her to automatically to block out the sound of the crackling fire, it was nothing but a distraction now. Instead she focused on the once silent forest, the rustle was so quiet it could have easily been the wind once again, but the girl's hackles were raised, so she stared right where she had heard the noise. Waiting for something… another sound, an image, anything…  
Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she examined the woods before her. Scanning the stoic trees as they reached high up in the sky and cloaked the visibility with their thin branches. Her vision shifted this way and that as she felt on high alert, trying to listen for another sound.

"Not bad…" Came a sudden voice from the darkness. The voice was female and light, easy on the ears yet with an underlying threat you would never turn your back on, the girl was reminded of a knife. Sharp, to the point, with the threat of harm ever present. She knew that voice… Suddenly a figure's outline began to form from the darkness, stepping out from behind a tree. She slowly walked closer to the light and the campfire. The cloaked girl widened her eyes as she reached for her sword. Her faithful weapon that had been with her since before she left the military. "…but I wasn't trying to sneak up on you." The voice continued, a mirth lighting her voice as if she found this situation funny. But the cloaked girl now knew who that voice belonged to…

"Assassin…" The cloaked girl spat out at the intruder in her midst. The outlined figure approached the light of the fire, just enough to come into view, yet still far enough away on the other side of the camp. The shadows danced on her young face, the cloaked girl narrowed her eyes as she examined the oddly smiling face of the new person entering her camp. Her features were smiling… but they were far from warm, with a sharp piercing gaze and a mocking grin adorning her face, an obvious vertical scar over her eye the only thing that marred her perfect and deadly features. Yet it only added to her dangerous glare instead of taking away from it. Even her eyes were sharp and narrow, examining the cloaked girl in turn as her eyes looked her up and down. The girl felt almost naked in her stare. But the assassin didn't move any closer as her footfalls ceased at the edge of the light. The black shadows dancing on the surface of her face almost masking and blending in with the dark leathers she wore, a tight outfit designed for efficiency and quick subtle movements, coupled with metal guards and visible knives… she was prepared for a fight. Yet… the cloaked girl didn't feel in any immediate danger. That was how the assassin always looked, always prepared for every eventuality, it was how she was. Her look was completed with her fiery bright red hair, almost seeming out of place with the dark clothes and general look, however the bright red alluded to her powerful spirit that nestled inside her slim and beautiful body, her hair was left down and long, free, reaching down her back.

The assassin now answered her, she folded her arms as she stood in the light of the fire. But her lips edged into an almost real and softer smile for barely a second at being called an assassin, something so informal, something she was used to… but perhaps not from the cloaked girl…

"Exile…" She quipped back. Her mocking grin snapping back into place. Her stance appeared to almost… relax, as if she didn't fear the cloaked girl in the slightest. Her guard wasn't… down… it was never down…

But the cloaked girl frowned spitefully at the name given her by the other. Clothes rustled as she stood up from the floor, standing up to a height just above the red headed girl before her. Her features still dark as her heart thundered inside her chest, feeling on edge around a person she knew from her past. The girl never let it show though, her training in her mind set in stone and reacting on instinct she appeared fearless. As she stood she gripped the hilt of her sword… or more accurately… her broken sword. Un-repaired, yet not unusable, another piece of her broken heart that she would never let go of.

Now stood at her full height she flicked her head back, her hood falling from her features. The intruder already knew who she was, there was no point in hiding her face before her. The material fell away revealing pure white hair, once as pristine and light as the northern snow, yet now marred with dirt and out of place. Her skin was once lightly tanned and flawless, but likewise scuffed and marred, she knew she looked a bit thinner then the assassin remembered. Sure enough, the red headed girl's impeccable mask fell for barely a second, a flash of pity shot through her eyes at seeing how far the cloaked girl had fallen. She felt a hot ball of anger well up in her chest as she saw that pity… she was strong! She was not someone to be pitied, or looked down on, never! She gritted her teeth as she fought back an anger fuelled comment at her visitor.

Now a genuinely soft smile adorned the lips of the other girl, her body language softened at the other side of the fire. She held her hands at her side loosely, indicating she was no threat.

"Come now… no need for such useless titles. We were once equals, and friends." The assassin spoke out to the tense figure. The other girl didn't respond to her. The assassin's features pulled back into a soft silent laugh. The white haired girl's fist tensed, she felt on edge being around her, felt so off being in her presence, maybe it was the fact that she had indeed once seen her as a friend, and had not seen her since she had indeed… exiled herself. Maybe it was just the same as her parents, how could she face them? They all believed in Noxus as it was now, whereas she… did not. Clashing beliefs… it left a foul taste in her mouth.

"Katarina…" She spat out to the newcomer. Almost surprising herself that she had spoken her name, the old familiar name rolled off her tongue as if it had only been a few hours ago she had spoken to her, and not months.

The named assassin smiled warmly at her, raising her hands to her hips.

"Riven…" Katarina spoke her own name, Riven felt a lump grow in her throat as she heard her name spoken by her once friend. Her thoughts threatened to drag her back into the past, flitting images and other times in front of her eyes. But she forced it back and stood her ground. Swallowing hard before steeling herself once more.

"What are you doing here?" Riven asked, her voice flat and sharp. To the point and without a drop of warmth that she once held in heaps towards the assassin before her. But Katarina didn't appear offended, not at first. She smiled at the comment, a dark smile before she pouted and a hurtful mask appeared on her face.  
"Aww… what… no warm welcome? No words of greeting? No 'How are you Katarina? It's so good to see you?' Is that any way to treat your friend?" She answered, her voice mocking and false.

Riven didn't answer her, possible explanations as to why she was here flashed across her mind now. Most of them not good. Would Noxus have sent out an assassin to kill her?

…Yes…

Katarina appeared to wait for an answer, but when none came, a hard stare her only answer she would receive, Katarina shrugged.

"I came to find you…" Her words dropped in tone, her light dancing playful tone from before now vanished. Riven's nerves twitched as her hand gripped the pommel of her sword harder. "…I have a message." She finished. Her confident grin back on her features, actually making Riven worry, she didn't like that look directed at her, she felt like prey, the target for the predator. Hmph… she would never be made to feel weak, never be made to feel beneath anyone. She was strong… she was Noxus! Riven didn't back down, she held her head high as she stared down the assassin.

"Really… Noxus sends an _assassin_ to send me a message? I doubt that… at least… not the kind of message that involves words." She spat out at Katarina, her guard was up, she flitted her eyes to the woods around her and then back to the apparently lone assassin, the flames of the campfire crackling out quietly in the background. Yet it no longer warmed her, a cold depression hung in the air.

A horrible laugh echoed out into the forest, a dark chortle that made Riven's hairs stand on end as she felt she was purposely being laughed at. Riven's annoyance began to bubble ever higher, threatening to take over her calm demeanour.

"Ah… dear Riven. If I had been sent here to kill you. You would not be speaking to me now. I would be cleaning my knives of your blood." Katarina replied darkly, her voice so matter of fact, as if she was talking about the weather and not the swift killing of her once friend. But Riven didn't react to the words, it wasn't a threat, that was what Katarina truly believed. But the sword wielding warrior didn't argue that fact, she didn't believe it, but she knew that was not the issue here. Whether she could have survived an attempt on her life by the fabled assassin was not the point here.

"Perhaps… but why send _you_?" She continued. Feeling tense and tight, her nerves alight as if expecting an attack at any time, fearing her old friend was merely a distraction. But the assassin only sighed at her. As if she was a pupil who was failing to grasp the lesson. Her eyes fell to the floor for a second before they snapped back up to her.

"You are missing the point Riven. I'm not here as an assassin. I'm not here to kill you. Normally I would have refused such a trivial assignment… but when I learned my target…" At that she coughed before continuing. "… excuse me… I mean when I learned who I was seeking. I agreed." But that still didn't alleviate Riven's fears, she still felt as if a battle was about to take place… her muscles were bunched up, her lungs took in quick breaths even as she tried to calm herself, it was the tension before a fight. She knew that feeling well.

"Why…?" Riven questioned, no longer snapping at her companion, and a spike of confusion shot through her, but she still felt so on edge. She can't afford to let her guard down, not around her… not around the great assassin of Noxus. A woman who she had once trusted with her life, a woman she had once praised and even looked up to, a woman who had once actually had her back. She knew how deadly she was, had counted on it.

"… do you know who is in charge of Noxus Riven?" That question threw her, actually threw her. Her tenseness collided with a powerful confusion, what was the point of this question?

"…what?" Riven asked her, not understanding the point of this. But Katarina appeared to not be phased by her confusion.

"Answer my question." Katarina pushed her once friend, a smile on her lips as she watched the cogs whir in Riven's mind. Clunking away to try and quickly work out both the answer and more so the reason to the vein of bizarre questioning. Riven sent her a dark look.

"I know Darkwill isn't in charge anymore…" She started. Katarina's grin grew ever wider.  
"Very good!" She mocked, as if she was speaking to a young child. "But who is in charge now?"

Riven cringed at her tone, she wasn't stupid… but Katarina was not just an assassin of the shadows, she could have a target in a straight up fight as well, however her tactics of riling up her opponent to cause them to make a mistake was well on view here. Once again Riven felt like her target…

"… I heard that Swain is now the Grand General of Noxus…"

"Ah… we have a winner!" Katarina laughed out as she mentally poked her quietly seething friend. Once again Riven's hand clasped ever tighter around the hilt of her precious sword. Katarina was still giggling softly to herself as she continued. "Sorry Riven." She smiled, her face not showing a drop of apology. "But there was a point to that. Tell me Riven. Why did you abandon your country?"

Riven didn't like this new strain of conversation. Now it was Katarina who was the one playing the student, asking an obvious question of her teacher. Riven was quickly growing tired and exasperated with this game,

"You know why…" She sighed out, her muscles loosening somewhat with her sigh.

"No I don't." She shook her head and shot back. "First we thought you were dead like the rest of the troops." At this her voice and stance grew tense. "I mourned you Riven… I actually mourned you. How weird does that sound?" She continued in a strained tone. But Riven actually looked up at her, feeling a small ebb of softness beginning to form over the seething anger that had so far corrupted her thoughts.

"Later when you had magically re-appeared. I was… happy. I thought you were coming home. But you never showed up. I now know you had left, I had heard all of the rumours. That is not the same. So no… I don't know why." Riven noticed that Katarina had still not made a move toward her, she didn't appear to be an immediate threat. Maybe… she wasn't. However Riven still felt on edge even as she no longer stared at her visitor and sat back down, her cloak wrapping around her as she fell back to the ground. She swerved her gaze up to the assassin.

"I left after that day battling Ionia…" She started, before sighing and stopping. The silence only broken by the crackles of flame. She missed Katarina's brows start to lower when she didn't continue.  
"I know that… you led our troops brilliantly and far into enemy territory, cutting through hostile forces as if they were cattle. You always were an artist on the battlefield Riven…" Katarina cut in. But that caught Riven off guard once again, as she had to duck her head to hide a light blush she felt rise on her cheeks at the compliment of her strength. She had done that, she had led the soldiers and felt such pride of the strength of Noxus, leading her men, taking down their enemies. But… that mind set had soon been melted away, painfully shoved aside to let the feeling of utter hate and betrayal to engulf her.

"O-oh…u-um… Thank you." She stared at the flames instead of her visitor now.

"You're welcome." Katarina quickly answered her.  
"…a-anyway, my battalion was in trouble, we were ambushed and were being pushed back. Losing men fast. I asked for reinforcements, I knew with a fresh wave of troops the Ionians would not have stood a chance… but what we got… was not salvation… but destruction." Riven told her story, her tone had dropped as she spoke her memories, the pain in her thoughts evident, but she instead turned almost monotone as she re-told it. Her words could not capture the painful memories that she struggled to block from her mind, the screams and the dying from both sides, the look of horror that both sides shared as they stared up to watch the bombs drop on them all…

What happened next was a blur to her, she knew she had rocked so close to the edge of her sanity that day… in fact… she was pretty sure she had to claw her way out of a pit she was falling into. A never ending deep vast hole that gripped her and ripped at her, pulling her, as she desperately sought to keep her head above the horrible pit. To grasp anything she could and to pull herself out. She remembered the faces of horror… the screaming… she remembered watching as a soldier she had chatted to that very morning… melt before her eyes. His skin ebbing away like water, his muscles falling to the floor to liquidise, a vile steam rising from the foaming ooze, his eyes as he stared at her as he simply fell apart. He locked eyes with her. She had stared back, nothing else mattered as his eyes spoke of his torment and his plea… for help.

That had set her off… and the next thing she knew was images of her running through a forest, unable to stop herself as she ran, still hearing the explosions and the bombs, was she fleeing? She must have been… but that was not an enemy she could win against, and she wasn't stupid…

She couldn't control herself, she heard yelling once again… but it came from her.

Images raced past her mind of her with her giant runic sword, the weapon so close to her heart, a weapon of Noxus, a gift granted to her when she took command, recognising her. To her…the sword was Noxus… and perhaps that was why… in her fit of madness. She began to smash it against a rock. Again and again and again and again…

The high pitched clinks and whines as she smashed the metal on stone, whacking the flat of the blade against the solid unmoving earth, not trying to cut it… no… she was lashing out at her own weapon. Too many times she threw all of her strength into the hit, the noises reverberating around the forest, the screeches and the whines. The screaming of the metal matching her own cries. The cries of the mad. Her eyes wide and unblinking, with great pools of tears threatening to fall. Drool and vomit mixing down her chin, her jaw still wide as she screamed.

Until finally… it shattered.

That marked the point when Riven had finally managed to pull herself out of that pit, that slippery pool of shifting earth as she finally dragged her mind back to herself.

Next thing she knew… she was panting as she struggled to focus her vision, her hazy gaze taking in what she had done. Her face was puffy and wet, her limbs felt so weak that she fell back onto the grassy floor, that was when she finally saw what she had done. Her runic blade had been split into pieces… the bulk of them now lay before her in the grass. Lying still and silent, like the carcass of her friend, and she had just killed him. The hilt still in her grip, her knuckles were white as she still held on so tightly, her grip like that of the dead. So tight and her muscles had in fact locked. She had to grit her teeth and pull her own fingers apart to unlock her hand from the now broken sword. The pommel and remainder of the sword fell to the ground with a thud.

And Riven let her tears fall down her face…

"…Riven…Riven!… Riven!" Someone was shouting at her… who… who was it? "Riven! Can you hear me?!" That voice…

"Riven! Answer me dammit!" That voice… it was so close… what was it? Suddenly Riven slammed back into the present, but she still felt so out of it. There was a voice to her left… she didn't know it. It sounded so off and echoing around her. She felt a hand gripping her arm, the fingers curled tight yet softly into her covered flesh. A surge of panic shot through her, defending herself automatically Riven leaped from her sitting position, snatching her arm away from the grip of whoever was at her side, her face an angry snarl as she attacked, her left arm pushing the person to the ground. With her broken sword cutting through the air as she prepared to decapitate whoever it was below her.

It was all panic backed instinct. She didn't even think…

But quickly her mind caught up with her body.

She blinked in confusion and surprise when she realised she was holding down her one time friend… the assassin… no, Katarina. Her sword arm was still high in the air, holding her blade dangerously, aiming down at the throat of her companion. But Katarina wasn't afraid, not a hint of fear existed on her face, of course not. She only exhibited a cool exterior, but this was mixed with… actual anger. A rare show of true emotion adorning her features.

"Don't make me…" She snapped coldly. Riven narrowed her eyes as she tried to work out what she meant by that… until she felt the sharp tip of a dagger nip at her stomach, just enough to draw blood, the sleek perfect knife slicing through material and skin with ease. She felt her blood well up and drip down the knife, slowly making its journey down the weapon and toward the hand of her friend.

Riven could only smile, there was no way she would have gotten the assassin like that. It would take more then that to take this one down. She chuckled out to herself now as Katarina below her actually smiled back, as if this was all one big joke. Riven felt Katarina's grasp on her knife loosen, prepared to take away the weapon that could have very easily ended her life. Riven pulled away her sword and dropped it to the ground beside her. The heavy rune emblazed steel landing with a whump on the grassy earthy ground. Riven now felt the sharp blade removed from her stomach and back in its place on Katarina's person.

Twin smiles stared at each other, a look of respect and of old memories swirling in their minds. Presently Riven was still sat atop the slimmer lithe figure of Katarina, her legs at either side of Katarina's hips. Her weight keeping her down below her.

"Hmm… as interesting as this position is…" Katarina spoke with mirth dancing in her voice. She grinned playfully and bucked her hips into Riven's to prove her point. "…we should get up."

At that Riven now saw the position she had forced Katarina into, she felt a blush well up on her face now, the heat and redness covering her.

"A-ah… sorry!" She mumbled as she rushed to get up. Almost balancing haphazardly in her rush to get out of such a provocative position. Riven quickly stumbled away, losing all the grace she had bore as a warrior to move away from the position she had found herself in, the assassin only watched her with a silent laugh in her features. Watching the now blushing warrior as she darted away to sit on the other side of the fire. Riven dropped herself now to the floor, her heart was racing as she tried to slow her breathing and calm down. Her head was too busy filled with confusing and racing thoughts, between her old friend, the teasing, the questions and this now odd sense of safety….

Hmm… Riven's breathing halted in their haste as she actually glanced away in thought, that blushing innocent face she had exhibited now dropped from her features. That was actually true now… she didn't feel a threat from Katarina. At least… not right here… not right now.

She sighed as she moved her head back up and toward her visitor, who was currently sat up and watching her, a raised eyebrow as if she was actually confused.

"What?" Riven asked of the red head, alluding to her bewildered face. At that Katarina shrugged and smiled… warmly. A genuine warm smile directed at her. Her leathers shifted as she moved into a cross legged position close to the fire now, opposite Riven, the lights of the fire merrily parading and dancing on her face. Her eyes sparkling in amusement.

"I never did hear of the great Riven ever bedding a man…" she blurted out. Positively grinning at this new line in conversation. But Riven only felt a spike of irritation run up her spine as she frowned and pouted at her friend.

"Wha-" Riven began, about to question what on earth had come over Katarina to even say something like that! Once again trying to fight back a sense of unease and a light blush building on her cheeks. The assassin leant her hands back and relaxed against the ground.

"…or are women more to your liking?" Katarina teased, Riven knew she was being poked at and prodded, looking for a reaction… she knew it… but that didn't mean she could stop herself.

Riven's jaw actually fell open as her eye twitched in shock.

"What?! Whathasthatgottodowithanything?!" Riven jumbled out her words as she spoke far too fast for Katarina to even understand, of course that made Katarina's grin spread even wider as she out right laughed at the reaction to her question. But… that laugh was soft… and gentle… her smile was genuine… her speech was teasing… but friendly and even…loving. And yet… even as Riven was being laughed at….

Instead of getting more riled up, as she would have done in the past, in this exact scenario, it felt like it was ripped from the past. It felt like old times, sat in a warm well furnished room, the Du Conteau coat of arms on display… and that actually… made her smile.

Still Katarina was laughing, as if she was enjoying this warm genuine laughter far too much, Riven found herself wondering if there was anyone else Katarina had ever felt comfortable around like she did with her. If Katarina had ever laughed like this with anyone else… back home.. What was it like now? Was it anything like how she remembered? Would she recognise any of it?

Too soon… the laughter slowed and halted, the assassin beamed a smile over at her friend, who returned it. But even that… eventually vanished, her smile no longer reached her eyes, and the happiness turned cold.

"Ah… it seems I have gotten distracted in all of the excitement." Riven dropped her own smile now as she tried to push back her nostalgic feelings toward her old friend, and comrade in arms. "I came here on a mission, and I still intend to finish it." Riven narrowed her gaze as even the feeling of safety around Katarina started to drain away, drop by drop, the pool of happiness that had unexpectedly welled up bizarrely, now dripped away, disappearing into the earth.

"Now then…" She flexed her fingers, an audible crack into the air. "Now I know that you had left, that you had left of your own free will… yet I still don't quite understand why…"

Riven didn't respond at first. She didn't want to, she didn't want to talk about it. Katarina wasn't the first person to ask her, and she certainly won't be the last. She didn't talk about it, not at all. She had her reasons, she also had her reasons as to why she didn't respond to… well… anyone. 

Flashes of faces, ambassadors, dignitaries from both Demacia and even occasionally Ionia itself, flew in her vision. Both assuming she had betrayed her nation of Noxus and now fought them on some bizarre crusade of redemption, of finally recognising the 'evil' that Noxus truly was, they believed that vision so much that more then once have such people invited her into their ranks. As an honoured guest, as a possible soldier, as an informant… many, many times… this was just another one… from a nation that she had turned her back on.

Her lips locked together in her automatic response, she never answered it, she sought her own path, it was something she had to do… alone. She wished for allies, but allies that she wanted… just did not exist. The silence stretched on, once more the crackles of the fire the only sound in the forest.

"Are you not going to answer me now?" A spark of irritation in her voice. But Riven began to shut down, she didn't answer her, she didn't speak, not a word now. She didn't even look at her now as she instead stared into the flames before her. She didn't say her reason, she couldn't… not to anyone she didn't trust, and the fact is… Riven didn't trust anyone. No one. There was no one she could trust… she wished she did have someone… but she didn't. She only had… enemies… in fact… even Katarina was an enemy. She had almost forgotten that, Riven growled out to herself, she had actually allowed her guard to drop… what was she doing? She was so stupid! This assassin from Noxus was an enemy, a representative from a nation she had turned her back on… for now, a weak nation, a nation gone soft in the head, a nation she had once loved. Still did, but not the crippled creature it had became. Katarina still worked for that crippled weak animal that no longer had strength. The strength she knew Noxus had, could claim back one day. She sought a way to do such a thing…

But that meant she could trust no one.

Allying herself with any nation was simply not an option, allying with a true enemy, Demacia or Ionia, they were not her would be allies, they were another species of animal in the wild. Riven was still a Noxian beast at heart, a lion would never join Jackels or wolves, that was the same thing here. Noxus was a pride, a powerful pride of lions, strength had once been their core. But that pride had become corrupt, weak in mind and spirit, and no longer the pride she had been proud of. When Noxus turned its back on her…she turned her back on it, seeking a way to purify that corruption… to bring strength back to Noxus!

"I can see your eyes moving…" Katarina's voice broke her train of thought, crashing down like a fist on a door, interrupting her and demanding attention. "What are you thinking about? Why won't you speak?" She carried on, her irritated voice now also dotted with confusion. Riven actually broke her silence.

"I'm not answering you…" She explained. More then what she had ever given to anyone else. She owed Katarina that much at least. But the assassin didn't give up.

"Why?!" She quipped back. But Riven shook her head, an almost forlorn act in itself. She didn't say anymore then that. "I don't understand this stubbornness… I don't remember this… this is a Riven I don't know." She pursed her lips as her eyes examined her once again, almost… re-examining her friend.

Riven's walls around her mind came crashing down, she wouldn't answer any more questions. She didn't even look up at her friend anymore, she sighed and simply returned to staring at the fire. Once more a statue to the world, cold and silent.

"Riven!" Once more the assassin shouted at her. Irritation lacing her voice, seems the great assassin was not fond of being ignored. But the cloaked girl didn't respond, many times delegates had tried various methods to get her to open up. Being nice, being harsh, soft, bribery… shouting, threats… more then once Riven had had to stare them down. She hoped that would not happen here again. But still she did not answer her.

"Fine then…" Katarina sighed out now, sounding resigned. Had she given up? Riven's eyes actually darted up. Surprised that she had given up so easily… but Riven was wrong. "I'll just stay here with you until you speak…" Katarina didn't look at her now, she relaxed by the fire. Riven felt confused and once again surprised. No one had done that with her… this was new. She wasn't sure what to say.

"I can't tell you…" Riven mumbled now, unused to continuing this line of conversation, and uneasy with Katarina's tactics. Katarina now didn't even look at her, she instead stared into the fire, same as Riven.  
"Then you better get used to me being around." She spoke matter-of-factly. Riven's jaw dropped at that, a sudden flash in her mind wondered how she could get her to leave… but Riven instead relaxed and smiled to herself. This would be a test of endurance. She knew Katarina would not get the information she needed.

"You still haven't told me why you are here…" Riven spoke to her now. But the assassin shrugged in response.  
"Not until you tell me what I want to know." She replied coolly.

Riven's smile grew wider and she also turned back to the fire, neither of them said a word now as once again the crackle of the fire began to hum around them, the tune of the warming light the only thing that broke the silence of the forest.

**Got plenty more planned for these two. I hope you liked and any reviews would be very much appreciated! Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here I am with the next chapter. I have noooo idea if any of you are still reading who read the first one months ago. If you are then thank you. If not then welcome! I hope you like this chapter!**

**I feel a tad rusty but I think this chapter turned out ok haha**.

* * *

Footsteps trudged through the darkness, ever so quiet, near silent to all but the most perceptive of listeners. Breathing was likewise near impossible to detect, kept close and even no matter what happened. It could not be heard. Silent.

It was still dark, and the walker blended into the darkness as if she belonged there, without a sound she was a shadow along the trees and nothing more. Sharp eyes pierced the darkness able to pick out every obstacle and useable path before her. Each step was calculated and planned, yet the whole movement was so fluid, evidence of a life in the shadows.

Katarina moved out of the forest and toward the edge, she glanced back to where she had left her target. The light from the fire just managing to flit through the trees now, the low light barely visible. Her face shifted into a grimace at the slight irritation with the stubbornness of Riven, yet… at the same time the grimace melted away to a smile. She did not think from the start that it would be easy. She had been expecting something like this, something, she just didn't quite know what. But something would not simply allow her to bring Riven back to Noxus so easily. As if she was simply a lost horse and only needed a guiding hand to point her way home. Nope. Katarina's smirk grew ever wider as she turned back to her path. Although she actually found herself looking forward to spending a few days with her old friend. It wasn't like old times… not yet… but even now this Riven could still make her smile. It was odd, Katarina had never met anyone who drew a genuine smile from her. It actually made her… feel warm…and happy. She wasn't used to it, and she found herself chasing that feeling whenever she could.

It was different then the satisfaction from a kill. Different then finally settling down after a day of work, different from talking to her father, to Swain… to anyone else. She was… different. Not that any of this would get in the way if she had to kill Riven. Katarina held her pride above all, she never missed her kill. Never… never again would she make that mistake. The smile dripped off her face as a hand instinctually raised up to her scar. Serving as a constant reminder when her emotions and her passions had led her astray from her duty…. No….never again. She had swore that day to never repeat that mistake. This was no different.

The trees up ahead started to give way and lesson as they lost their advancing battle on the countryside. The dim light of the moon began to illuminate the area, lighting up the path to the outside world. The assassin now glided out from the forest, silent as ever. Her sharp gaze flicked down the small hill to where two beasts awaited her. The two horses bearing no emblem or mark along them, no one looking at these twin beasts would know them for bearing Noxus personal. Rightly so, as these two simple beasts were bought from an unknowing village, a smile and a flirt from said assassin had easily secured her the two horses as well as a reduction in fee. This was the destination of why she had come back out of the hidden forest Riven had taken refuge in.

The small whinnies of the horses as they stood close to the forest's edge, the temperature in the air had dropped outside of the warmth of Riven's fire, as well as the open air of the countryside, water vapour could be seen as white mist rising from their frothing mouths. One dipped its head and pulled at a patch of grass. However these horses were not alone…

"Where is she?" An edged voice spoke, she knew it well. So often was cold and devoid of warmth, yet to her, a softness bloomed. She glanced up at a him. A young man roughly the same age as she sat atop one of the horses as it pawed at the ground. He was dressed in dark attire like her, but the style was vastly different. A dark blue cowl covered his head, which continued down his back into a bladed cape, the most distinguishing feature, leading onto dark blue cloth clothing and metal guards which covered his body. A fellow assassin. Or rather… **the **fellow assassin of Noxus. Talon. Katarina gracefully walked down toward him, down the small hill. She noticed Talon's brow lower when she didn't answer him right away.

"Still there." She spoke as she travelled toward her own horse, the beast paying her no mind as she drew close. Continuing to chew at the grass, the soft munching as it glanced around at their surroundings.  
"Why?" He countered, to the point. His voice now rising as he began to grow suspicious. Katarina didn't even look at him as she started to un-strap her horse of her gear. "What are you doing?" He now questioned. Noticing what she was doing. Katarina's bags of gear fell to the floor, her horse now free of its burden shook itself, its mane whipping back and forth close to the assassin. She began to rummage through them and pull them open to check the contents.  
"She isn't moving. So I am staying here until she does. She is such a stubborn mule…" She started as she continued to examine the bags without looking up at him.

"What?!" Talon cut her off, his voice raising too high for Katarina's liking. She ceased her perusing and now flicked her eyes up at him, a scowl at her lips. But Talon wasn't looking at her anymore, he was already off his horse, the movement causing a rustling and a thump as his boots hit the ground. He whirled around to her. The bladed cloak surprisingly quiet even with the metal blades sewn into it. "We can easily drag her back to the city. Or we can cut her down right now, either way she won't be staying in this forest." His voice was cold and sharp, Katarina normally elated in his bloodthirsty attitude, as an assassin herself, she reveled in it. However… something about this whole situation was… different. An odd protective urge ran through her, a panic that shot from her very heart as she had to stop herself from whipping off the ground with a look of anger. Katarina froze as she swallowed carefully, as if swallowing that bizarre urge.

"Patience." She cooed out. Like a mother to an over eager child. "Not everything can be solved with brute force…" She smirked up at him, ignoring her own heart as it oddly beat faster than she was used to. As if something had spooked her. "…sometimes manipulation and subtlety can be more useful strategies." She finished as she now likewise stood up from the ground and pulled her bags onto her back, swinging the straps over her shoulder and flicking her body to get the pack in just the right position. She turned toward the man at her side and placed her hands at her hips. But Talon didn't back down, he stood his ground and crossed his arms.

"The Exile is just one woman, she can't take two of us on. After all General Swain gave us orders to bring her back dead or alive." He argued back. Starting to grate on Katarina's nerves. As an assassin he was seen as equal to her, but that didn't make him the same rank as her… not since her father…

Katarina laughed.

Her coarse chortle appeared to aggravate the fellow assassin.  
"My my… you are far too eager today. What? Has the cold gotten to you already?" She mocked him. Talon huffed out to her.  
"I am not fond of this blasted temperature no. However… we have our orders…" Katarina was growing tired of this. She lowly growled out to him.  
"What?! To drag her body back with us for that bastard?! You have seen that creature he has brought back from the dead have you not?!" Katarina practically shouted at him, barely managing to keep her voice down. Talon now looked away from her, his stance seemed to buckle somewhat, as the words of what she had said sunk in. The female assassin began to recollect herself, surprised that she had been forced to make him stand down. Stubborn fool. She was surrounded by stubborn fools. She turned as she now looked back up the hill and into the dark still forest, no sign of Riven's fire in the distance. She had intentionally camped far in so that no one would see the light and smoke.

"…besides… I doubt we could very well take a Crimson Elite without sacrifice." She grinned to him, a warmer look on her face then she had taken with him. Talon shrugged.

"The Exile **was** a Crimson Elite… not anymore… plus we are of the night. She would have no chance." He spoke, confidence lacing his voice.  
"Oh really now?" Katarina chuckled. "Maybe you'll get your wish Talon. But for now…" Katarina wiped a stray hair out of her face. "Let's try it **my** way ok?" She smiled back at him, the fellow assassin of the Du Couteau family. Talon sighed out into the night, the white mist from his breath wafting up into the air. He sounded aggravated, but for now his impatience abated and instead turned and pulled himself back onto his horse. The beast snuffing harshly into the air through its nostrils and sidestepping in place as it now bore the added weight of its rider.  
Talon held the reigns loosely as he looked back at the red head assassin.  
"What do you want me to do?" He spoke to her. Katarina grinned up at him, looks like he was finally taking her lead. Good.

* * *

With the added burden of her pack on her back her steps were heavier, lacking in the same grace as before, even going so far as to say she sounded heavy. But Katarina was used to bearing very little, only what was necessary for the kill and infiltration. Long forays into the wilderness was not quite… her style… and with this new pack she felt a little bit… off. However she still held herself as if the extra weight was nothing to her, her gait over the forest floor remained unchanged to the untrained eye. However she no longer glided like the silent assassin she was, tiny thuds marked her footsteps and small rustles as she moved along undergrowth. Normally Katarina would never accept this from herself, berating herself and pushing herself ever onward.

However… this was not the time for that. Her target up ahead knew she was coming, and once again she didn't bother with hiding her presence. She wanted… needed Riven to be comfortable around her. Just like old times. She had to once again reside in that small circle of trust she once belonged to, it was a little bizarre being back on the outside of that said circle. Especially regarding the laughter they shared so easily, Katarina had accidentally slipped back to her old self around the exile. It had reminded her of old times, unlike others Riven truly could be counted as her friend. Riven was unlike the others… she didn't see a person looking to befriend her because of her status, or her rank, or to keep an eye on her, or to look for a weakness. No… at first she had thought that, at first she had mistrusted her, spied for a hidden motive, a true reason as to why Riven was being simply so…. Nice. It befuddled her, it confused her… she didn't understand. Growing up in a world of lies and darkness, of kill or be killed attitude. Yet Riven… seemed to come from a different world. It was a world of strength yes… some would argue it was indeed the same world. But the difference was… in the people. Riven believed in forging bonds, in trusting the men at her side. In strength as a whole, in the strength of trust of each other, as a unit. To lead and conquer, to prove their strength over their enemies… but as a combined force. Whereas she… believed in being alone. Only when you were alone… could no one hurt you.

Yet these thoughts made Katarina grimace and cringe…

That was the old Riven… this Riven… was not the same.

She saw the way Riven looked at her, her eyes… showed the mistrust. That had actually… hurt. She couldn't believe it had done. But yet… it did. The assassin who still believed others would stab her in the back… yet with Riven... Riven was perhaps… her hidden weakness. She relaxed her guard, allowed the white haired girl to be so close to her heart…. Katarina knew that Riven didn't quite understand the privileged position she had acquired. To be trusted… Katarina could turn her back to her and **know** she wouldn't be vulnerable. That… was not something she knew around anyone else… not even Talon. With him there was always that worry, that niggling notion that he would simply abandon her to her fate if something went badly, that no matter how close she was, she just didn't see… the same warmth in his eyes.

But something… something had clearly happened to make this Riven abandon her county… abandon her old ways… abandon… her.

She just couldn't figure out what it was. Riven had to tell her… to make her understand. She knew of rumours and stories, hearsay and downright blasphemy. But she couldn't count any of it as the truth. She had to hear it from Riven herself. Maybe then… she would understand.

Up ahead the light from the fire started to grow bright and filter through the gaps in the trees. Katarina stepped closer to the light, closer to the campsite and closer to… the person she no longer knew…

With one last rustle she pushed a branch out of the way to step into the small clearing. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the light of the snapping fire, the bright colours creating a beacon in the otherwise bland darkness around her. Beside the fire was the ever cloaked figure of her target. Katarina's gaze snapped to her form, Riven was no longer watching the fire as she had left her. Her head was firmly turned and staring right at her. But the stare Riven was giving her… Katarina had to force back a flinch. Her eyes were so… cold. No, that wasn't right. Not cold… simply… empty. Devoid of warmth for her. Katarina still wasn't used to that, not after seeing the friendship in the gaze of her friend for so long. Seeing her features so… vacant toward her was… unsettling.

However Katarina once again wore the mantle of the actor, pretending it did not bother her. That nothing bothered her.

"I'm back!" The assassin cried out, almost forcing a cheery voice, simply to pierce the heavy air placing such a pressure on the pair of them. With those two words the heaviness lifted… somewhat. With her voice echoing around the empty clearing Riven turned back to the fire without a word. Katarina's smile faded back to an unsettled look, yet making sure Riven would never see that look. She had to play a role. A role she hoped she would not need for long, she surprised herself by how much she wanted the old Riven back, Katarina felt such an ache in her body. It felt strained and stiff, the acting only tensing up those usual muscles that cried to relax around her old friend. Yet her body and mind warred on this matter. She could not relax around her… not yet. She prayed it was just a matter of time. As the assassin was used to being on guard, used to being alone, used to watching her back, yet… this seemed different.

Like an intruder in your own home. It was somewhere you should feel at your safest. But right now… at this moment. It felt horrible.

"Did you get everything you needed?" The almost monotone and unfeeling voice of the exile spoke to her, Katarina's head flicked to hers. But Riven had not moved and instead was now placing a new branch of firewood onto the fire. The spark stuttering and popping at the fresh kindling as it devoured the dead wood. Katarina forced a small smile to her lips, it was fake and hurt her cheeks even as she placed the old mask on her features. She stepped to the opposite side of the fire and began to pull off her heavy backpack. The leather clad assassin blew out a gust of air from her lips, blowing away a straggling strand of crimson hair.

"Yeah… I have it all. I let the horse go. I doubt I'll be needing it." She spoke as she dropped the bag with a light thud. She caught movement in the corner of her eyes, she glanced toward the swordswoman. Who was shutting her mouth just as Katarina turned…. As if she had been about to say something but then changed her mind. Katarina stared at her for a few seconds… but Riven didn't make another move. With a swift flick of her hand she moved hair that had fallen in front of her eyes back behind her ear and moved back to her pack. "You are a lot quieter then I remember…" Katarina remarked, half to herself. Once again that gained nothing in response.

The silence was thick in the air once more, she didn't like it, she found herself scanning topics to try and break the tension. To try and get Riven to open up… about…anything. As her body opened her pack and pulled out the wrapped bedroll her mind whirred and flitted through images and subjects, eager to garner some sort of response from her silent companion. She had shut down and raised walls around her, keeping Katarina away, keeping her out. There must be something…

But Katarina was struggling to think of anything they could talk about... she swallowed dryly as once upon a time conversation between them came as easily as breathing. But right now... Katarina sneaked a glance once more at the ever silent Riven. The exile stared wordlessly at the fire. How many nights had she done this? How many nights had it been with just her and her thoughts? Katarina unconsciously bit her lip at the uncomfortable thought, she didn't feel welcome in her midst. Not wholly unwelcome... more... ignored. Nothing but background, a figure that was simply part of the scenery.

The assassin tried to force a relaxed pose as she distracted her own body by laying out the bedroll close to the warm fire, dropping her butt almost unceremoniously down upon it and pulling out a knife and examining the point. Tto anyone else checking for imperfections and dullness, to her simply performing a familiar ritual in this unease. The sharp edge reflecting the light from the crackling fire.

"So..." She started, without a plan of attack, without a topic in mind, just to try and break the silence once more. "... is it always just you wondering around?" Katarina cringed as soon as she spoke that. She meant to try and strike up a conversation, relating to how she had been doing alone. Yet she knew her own words had come out in an almost mocking tone, but her words had no effect on the statue before her. Katarina didn't try and retract her statement, however the words seemed to disappear into thin air around the unmoving figure, as if her presence sucked away any and all attempts to engage the woman and vanish into an invisible pit.

The silence stretched on as Katarina stayed sat where she was. The uncomfortable blanket of silence stretched on. The assassin felt so out of place and off, her usual air of confidence took a knock. She felt thrown, she mulled over her own thoughts as the pop and crackle of the fire was the only sound in the otherwise quiet forest. This was not quite her forte, she did not normally try and engage targets like this... normally she let her knives do the talking. Though she was quite sure her knives wouldn't be a very good conversationalist right now. Katarina opened her mouth to try again, trying to think of one last try to engage the silent swordswoman. "What are you going-" She started. However Riven suddenly cut her off.

"I'm tired..." Was all she said before she shifted, standing up from her sitting position and moving toward her bedroll. The Du Couteau assassin raised an eyebrow in confusion, the words of annoyance at being cut off about to spill from her lips, but she snapped her mouth shut. Instinct telling her that would not be the best thing to do right now. Without another word or another glance in her direction Riven settled down in her bedroll and appeared to fall asleep almost immediately. Her back was turned to the assassin, Katarina frowned. The action seemed so simple, yet to turn your back on the trained killer was downright stupid to most, Katarina shook her head. Perhaps it was showing that Riven truly did not acknowledge her presence at this time... a lump of indignity settled in her throat, yet... at the same time it could very well be a sign that Riven trusted the assassin to not simply kill her in the night. Did she even care anymore?

No... there was just too many questions and no answers, maybe she was just looking into this too much. She should just head to sleep too. Start off the next day. See what she was like tomorrow, maybe she would be cheerier? Katarina smirked to herself, nah, possibly not, she thought with a sigh. This... might take longer then she thought. She couldn't stop her eyes from peering out over the fire to the prone sleeping form of the swordswoman. The Exile of Noxus. How easily she could slip over there and...

"Goodnight." Katarina spoke out, her voice interrupting the drone of endless stillness that coalesced around them. She watched the figure opposite her shift slightly, Riven heard her. She didn't expect a response. Katarina wasn't usually one for saying such a trivial thing as a goodnight, but she was looking for any excuse at the moment to engage with the exile.

A few moments passed, without a response. Katarina had to hold back a sigh, this woman before her felt like a stranger, this was not the Riven she knew. Not just an exile, she seemed... broken. Not weak, certainly not, far from it. But... broken. She recalled how she looked when she first examined her, she appeared scruffy and bedraggled, thinner then she remembered and without quite as much muscle mass that the great 'Riven' had been famous for. But most of all, she noticed the thick black lines under her eyes, she seemed so... tired. Maybe that was the reason for her silence, like a beast past its prime. But Katarina didn't believe that for a second, she didn't have fools and weaklings for friends, she saw past the tiredness, the weakness, the silence, inside... deep inside, was a fire. It was smaller than she remembered, but it was still there. She just... had to reach it. Katarina recalled the duels she and Riven had shared, the matches they had together! It brought a smile back to her lips. Their styles were so opposite each other yet their fights were something else entirely. A soldier versus an assassin, brute force and drills against style and quick movements, a huge hulking Noxus sword set upon by lithe daggers and knives. Occasionally they drew spectators to their duels, but most of the time they fought in private, often with a smile on their faces, sometimes not. But whatever happened they always sought to challenge the other and best them. Such blows had often left scars and marks, bruises and scrapes. Katarina often was the one who bore the bruises, with Riven the scrapes.

The assassin pulled the edge of her leather pants down a few inches, to see a scar that marred her skin. Evidence of a past duel against the mighty swordswoman, the power in that frame was impressive and almost beyond belief. But it was there, and Katarina knew it better than most. This particular scar was a result of that massive claymore of a sword smashing into her, she had blocked most of the damage with her own twin daggers. But that particular time she wished she had dodged, as trying to simply block an attack with such power behind it had been borderline stupid, it had been instinct and if she was honest before she realised quite how much power was behind those swings of hers. The sword had slowed but not stopped, and had ended up digging right into her hip, through her leather and skin, the blood welling up and rushing down her leg. Back then she had refused to cry out, refused to show weakness. But that didn't mean to say it didn't hurt like hell! She held that pain in her memory, using that to learn and drill into her stubborn mind that Riven was truly stronger then she looked, and just like she would dodge the axe blow of Darius if he swung at her, she needed to dodge the impressive strike from the formidable warrior before her.

She let the leather snap back in place, letting the memories fall from her mind. Her small smile fell with it. A dark thought suddenly flitted across her mind. Why was she so bothered by this? Why was she trying so hard to reach this girl? She normally never bothered or cared. So why?

If anything Katarina had to guess she felt it was her own pride at stake. Yes that sounded right. She had placed trust and respect in this fellow Noxian and for Riven to appear as she was now... well... that was a tarnish to Katarina. She needed to get Riven back off the despicable floor she now crawled on.

Yeah.. that was what she was doing this for.

Although... she admitted to herself, she did miss the exile at times. It was odd, to have someone so close to you one day and then have them vanish the next, a part of her life simply... disappeared. There was no return home or coming back, there was just... nothing.

Katarina scoffed at herself, shaking her head of such useless thoughts. She never normally thought this much, even when on her own. Trying to keep her mind blank she tended to the fire, throwing another dry branch upon it to keep it alive. The flames swallowed up the wood as she stared.

Now she let out a small sigh, pretty sure that Riven was now indeed asleep, she never did get a response, Katarina started to feel the edge of weariness now. Good, she could do with trying to sleep. Not that she was quite looking forward to spending the night out here, but something ridiculous as sleeping outside would not drive her away.

Suddenly she shifted and neared her bedroll, The small rustling sounded so loud in her ears as she moved, eager to just get into the thick material before her. She debated whether or not to take off her weapons, she had slept with them before... it was horrible and sharp when turning. No... deftly and with expert hands she unhooked all of her daggers and knives, placing them silently on the floor beside the bedroll. Close enough that should anything wake her she would be armed and ready immediately.

The assassin quickly lowered herself into the layers of cloth, eager for warmth on this cold night. Her mind starting to grow sluggish as sleep threatened ever closer, finally starting to switch off and allow rest to come after the long day of trekking and horseback riding, looking for the hidden swordswoman had been no easy feat. She had hid herself well, It wasn't unusual for targets to try and disappear into the wilds however, so with the combined tracking abilities of herself and Talon they had eventually found her.

"Goodnight..." Came the small voice of Riven behind her. Katarina's brain became wired as she swung around, but the figure hadn't moved. She still appeared to be asleep... Katarina's eyes fell to the floor... doubting whether she truly heard that. She narrowed her eyes in slight suspicion but mentally shrugged as she instead looked back to her bed and settled in for the night... the low hum of burning wood in her ears as she closed her eyes and sighed out...

* * *

The light chirping of birds rang out into the forest, filling the empty void from last night, no longer did the low snapping of fire light their little campsite, now the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the world below. Awakening the life that had lay dormant the night before. Riven busied herself with the morning ritual of packing up. She never stayed in the same place twice, lest she be found... suddenly her moving hands slowed to a stop. She inwardly frowned, she had been found anyway yesterday... no, she shook her head. Still she had to keep her guard up, at the moment Katarina was no threat. She had a 'message' to deliver, and for now, Riven was not a target for assassination. That would most likely change when Katarina gave up or realised that Riven would not return to Noxus... or whatever it was that she wanted from her. That was all she could think of anyway. It was what all the others wanted, for her to go somewhere with them. It was like she was being ordered around. Just like before..

Orders, orders, orders... she was always ordered about. But... she was a soldier, that would always be her life she guessed, even now. She still had orders barked at her, just right now... she was free to ignore them. That gave her a little smile, a few years ago... hell, a year ago. She never would have imagined herself saying that, she believed in the strength of Noxus, believed in her fellow Noxians and believed in her own vision of strength. She would follow any order that complied with her vision. Follow any order that came from Noxus, from High Command.

Now however... she listened to no one. She had no allies and no home, not right now. Her home land was corrupted and dark, weak. But there was no way she could just waltz in and clean it up, no matter how much she wished she could just do such a thing. She laughed mentally at herself, maybe if she challenged Swain himself and won. Yeah right... good idea Riven. That would work. She thought sarcastically. She actually smirked at such a stupid idea. Even if the stupid idea then turned from funny to a sinking feeling, a weight on her stomach. She hadn't thought about her home land, what to do... for a good while. She had been so intent on keeping away, keeping away from everything. But now, she can't even hide anymore.

The villagers had driven her out. And now her old friend Katarina had come for her, for good or ill had yet to be seen, so of course these thoughts and memories came unbidden.

Riven sighed. In her musings to herself she had packed up camp, sorted out her bag and put out the last embers of the fire. All the while her _guest_ had not moved from her bedroll, Riven actually felt a tinge of confusion, how had the assassin not woken up yet? She knew Katarina was a light sleeper, she had to be. In her line of work...

There was no way Katarina had slept through her waking up and packing up the camp, now the swordswoman faltered. Should she try and wake her up? If she was actually asleep that is... or... she looked out into the forest, maybe she should just leave? Leave her old friend and lose her once again. Would that even work? Of course that comes back to the issue of if she is even awake...

Deciding on a different course of action, Riven moved around the remains of the campfire, the assassin's body was facing the other way, out toward the forest, so Riven stepped as quietly as her own body would allow. Which wasn't amazing... but she was sure she was quiet enough not to wake even the sleeping Katarina. Her boots bent the grass underfoot as she stepped around, the crisp morning made the grass sharp and cold underfoot, but it was warm enough that no frost hung from the greenery.

The cloaked Riven stepped around the apparent sleeping prone form of the fiery redhead. She angled her head just round so she would be able to see her face, just a peek... she wasn't quite sure what she hoped for. For her to actually be asleep? So she could try and vanish once more?

Riven struggled to see, Katarina's hair was hiding her face, the strands lay over her features just right. The exile strained her eyes to see without having to move around more, risking more noise. Suddenly a hand moved, Riven's heart leapt into her throat as she watched Katarina's hand move the crimson hair out of her face, to reveal a smiling and very alert face. Her bright jade eyes sparkled as she locked gazes with the swordswoman. Riven rolled her eyes as she had to fight back a groan. Of course she was awake... how could she even had thought she was not?

"Morning..." The assassin called out to her. Riven did not respond and instead stepped back away from her to pick up her bag. Slinging the heavy thing onto her shoulders, jostling it into place. Her back was now turned to her guest, but she swore she could hear a slight chuckling, a tinge of annoyance lanced through her but she ignored it. She wasn't in the mood to respond today, in fact she wasn't even sure why she did last night... she felt weird not to. Maybe it was to be polite? She hadn't had someone next to her while she slept for a very long time. It felt odd.

"Still quiet I see..." Katarina spoke out to her from behind. Her voice sounded like it was even and trying to maybe even mock her... yet... Riven swore she heard a slight edge of... annoyance? Possibly.  
The assassin was relentless in her continual pokes to get her to talk. However this wasn't the first time this had happened, it was the first time that someone had slept at her campsite with her yes. But not the first time she had been followed about. Riven vaguely recalled the ambassadors and dignitaries from Demacia and Ionia, boring, bland and fake people. Weak minds and weak resolves. They gave up soon enough...

But that made Riven glance back at the assassin, Noxus was... different. Of course it was different. Did they send a dignitary? Well... not in the usual sense, as Noxus was a military state. Katarina was probably a dignitary in the grand scheme of things. She was...what... a general now? Or at least the head of her house... or something. Riven wasn't sure, she had heard of General Du Couteau's disappearance. Just like Grand General Boram Darkwill was apparently 'murdered' by Demacia...

Yeah...

Riven didn't quite know what to think of that, but to her, it was just more evidence of the underhanded tactics that Noxus now stood for. Not strength or honour. But betrayal and manipulation. Tch... the strategies of the weak and the weak minded. That was not her home land, thinking about that reinforced in her mind how she could never go back. Noxus was simply... not her home anymore. She wished she could redeem it somehow... but she had yet to redeem herself. Riven sighed out to herself now, she didn't really know what to do. But... for now she would do what she always did, press on. Take every day as it comes and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

"So... where are we going?" A lively voice spoke up, making Riven turn around. The voice was far too keen for Riven's liking. It made her feel even more tired. She pulled her cloak up to over and around her face, so only her eyes could be seen, masking her face and causing her own voice to sound muffled as she responded.

"I don't know." That made Katarina's smile drop a little. The assassin picked up her own packed bag and swung it onto her back. Riven now satisfied that Katarina was up and apparently not leaving her just yet... turned to the exit of the forest where her new travelling companion had appeared from yesterday. The cold morning air hurt her lungs as she breathed in, her fingers and toes prickled with slight pain from the chill, her too few layers no longer aiding her against this autumn cold, it was only going to get worse. Still... the forest's greenery spread out before her, the last ditch of effort against the coming winter. Many of the trees still bore their leaves, even if they were wonderful deep shades of orange and crimson. The last flowers still in bloom dotted around the roots, drops of colour nestled in the drab browns and dull green of the grass.

Riven started to drift back off into her own world, a world of just her, ready to walk once again. When something interrupted her...

"Are you not eating?" That brought her out of her little world, out of her reverie she so wanted to abandon herself back into. Her old friend had far too much energy right now, she wanted to simply walk and try to keep warm. Riven thought that silence would not answer this one.

"I'll eat later." She responded. Besides she had too few supplies right now, she had to stretch them until she could resupply. Whenever that would be...

"Catch." Came the one word reply. Riven turned round to face her in interest when she spotted an object hurtling toward her, she flinched and shot her hands out, letting the object fall into her waiting grip. She examined the small object in earnest. It was dried meat, a strip of jerky. Riven's eyes shot back up to the assassin, but she was no longer looking at her, she was starting to walk past her toward the direction Riven had been facing. "C'mon... It's freezing out here." She spoke back to her as she walked. Hmm... where did this friendly Katarina come from? She wasn't being quite nearly as mocking as she was last night. She seemed almost... subdued? No... Riven scanned her memories. This was the Katarina from her memories all right. The equal and friend she once had at her side, the assassin of Noxus had once had her back, and this all was an act to get her to believe that once again. She was sure of it. Still, the jerky was a nice addition to her morning.

"Thanks." Riven said as she bent down to pick up the cold handle of her broken sword, swinging it up to rest on her shoulder as she walked off after the assassin. Not quite realising as she fell into step behind her, that this was just like old times. With Katarina just ahead of her and leading, the ever faithful soldier following behind...

* * *

**Alright then awesome :)  
The next one will def not be as long a wait XD. I took a break from writing for a few months for personal reasons but I bloody missed it so I'm finally back lol. **

**Hope you all enjoyed!**


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